Hi – me again; back with more dark chocolate. Forgive me, but I’m on a bender. Last week it was flourless peanut butter, Biscoff & dark chocolate cookies. This week it’s dark chocolate, coconut & almond granola, which is at least healthier. Stop laughing! It’s good for you, right? Okay, you be the judge.

Start by lining two large baking sheets with parchment or Silpat mats. Spread the oats, almonds and coconut on baking sheets in a thin, even layer and toast at 350F for 10-15 minutes, or until the coconut is golden brown and the oats & nuts are fragrant. Remove from the oven and scrape the oats, almonds & coconut into a large mixing bowl; toss to combine.

In a saucepan, combine the agave nectar, honey, canola oil and butter. Cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the cocoa powder & salt, whisking until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts. Pour the hot liquid mixture over the oat mixture and toss until everything is coated. (This smells SO GOOD the entire time you’re making it.)

Spoon the mixture back onto the lined baking sheets and pop them back into the oven (still at 350F) for 15 minutes. Stir or flip the mixture around and bake an additional 15 minutes, for a total baking time of around 30 minutes. It’s done when the edges are toasty and the mixture is only slightly sticky but very fragrant. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Store in airtight containers at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Options:
1. Nut allergies? Go Mounds and omit the almonds & almond extract.
2. Not a chocolate fan? Omit the cocoa and add dried fruit like cranberries or blueberries. Dried apricots & candied ginger would also be a great combination.
3. Grab a straw, because the chocolate almond milk left behind is delicious.

Note: This recipe was adapted from a recipe found on Pinterest which was adapted from the Joy the Baker Cookbook; her version calls for cinnamon & granulated sugar and uses less coconut & nuts. But those are my favorite parts of granola, so I upped the volume of almonds & coconut, substituted agave nectar for the granulated sugar, added almond extract, and doubled the butter. I gotta be me.

I agree, Paula! There’s nothing in this that’s bad for you. Some people may balk at the 1/2 stick of butter, but c’mon. This makes a ton of granola, so a half stick isn’t so bad. Plus, it’s BUTTER… and butter = yummy.

Fact: I love chunky granola so much it hurts sometimes. The more “stuff” in it, the better! Same goes for ice cream. I really like your use of big coconut flakes and that you combined agave & honey–I always mix agave & honey in my granola because it’s the perfect syrupy combo. Your granola would be fabtastic morphed into granola bars for the grandbabies!

I like the agave nectar + honey combo for granola, too. It adds a perfect amount of sweet to balance the floral notes of my Texas wildflower honey, and I feel better using agave over the granulated sugar in some granola recipes. And I’m with you 100% on ‘chunkier is better’ granola. The dark cocoa in this one adds great flavor, too. It’s a nice change from my usual fruit/nut granola.